Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Metabolism by White Rot Fungi Agaricomycetes sp AGAT and Its Microcosm Study

Abstract

Hydrocarbon pollution is a perennial problem not only in India but throughout the globe. A plethora of microorganisms have been reported to be efficient degraders of these recalcitrant pollutants. In the present study the Basidiomycetous a fungal isolate Agaricomycetes sp. AGAT was isolated from wood bark collected from Anand, Gujarat India. The isolate was screened for production of ligninolytic enzyme by primary and secondary screening. The isolate Agaricomycetes sp. AGAT is also able to degrade the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in the contaminated soil. The basidiomycetous fungal Agaricomycetes sp. AGAT was able to grow on 100 ppm Pyrene, Phenanthrene, Fluorene and Fluoranthene as a sole source of carbon in minimal medium. Maximum degradation of 78.53%, 85.05%, 20.5% and 70.49% of Phenanthrene, Pyrene, Fluoranthene and Fluorene respectively. The depletion in the residual PAHs in the culture medium was determined by HPLC. By GC-MS analysis metabolites were identified as 1-hydroxypyrene and phthalic acid from Pyrene, 9H- Fluoren-9-ol from Fluorene, Fluorene, 4-[1,2-dihydroxethyl] from Fluoranthene and 9,10-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxyphenanthrene from Phenanthrene. Further effect of surfactants, mediator were also studied. Phytotoxicity study of degraded metabolite was also studied.